Gen4 Glock 20 for a woods gun

[Up1911Fan]

Seriously considering a Gen4 G20 for a woods gun. Primary use would be as my carry gun when snowshoeing and snowmobiling in the winter, and hiking/backpacking the rest of the year. Would also be carried as a secondary when hunting. No grizzlies in Upper Michigan, so primarily for black bear, cougars, wolves. I have two small dogs I often take for long day hikes. Primary carry for me is a G17/19. I'm also thinking about a G22 with a KKM or BS barrel as it would fit all existing support gear. Mainly looking for any advise/experience you may have with either one given my potential use for them. Load suggestions?

[secondstoryguy]

Don't know about the Gen 4s, but I carried a Glock 20 for years in Montana. IMHO it's the perfect woods gun and I say this having carried various other "woods" type guns such as a S&W .44 mountain gun. Another plus to the G20s are the ability to drop in a .40 barrel and shoot 40 or even .357 sig. Mine ran perfectly with a .40 cal conversion barrel dropped in.

[warpedcamshaft]

Glock 20 = Good Business

[Wendell]

Backpacking: bears
<http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?4585-Backpacking-bears>

[GJM]

I recently got a G4 Glock 29, and feel it is better than my 29SF. The OEM beavertail is more protective of the base of the inside of my dominant thumb with heavy loads. The Gen 4 texture also helps me hold onto the gun better. So far no stoppages through about 100 assorted 10mm loads, from the Underwood 200 penetrator, DT 200 penetrator, Barnes 155 JHP, Hornady XTP and CD. I am running the small frame height Trijicon HD sights and they regulate for my pistol.

I like the 29 for defensive field use, versus lots of shooting, because it carries so much smaller than a G20.

[Up1911Fan]

I recently got a G4 Glock 29, and feel it is better than my 29SF. The OEM beavertail is more protective of the base of the inside of my dominant thumb with heavy loads. The Gen 4 texture also helps me hold onto the gun better. So far no stoppages through about 100 assorted 10mm loads, from the Underwood 200 penetrator, DT 200 penetrator, Barnes 155 JHP, Hornady XTP and CD. I am running the small frame height Trijicon HD sights and they regulate for my pistol.

I like the 29 for defensive field use, versus lots of shooting, because it carries so much smaller than a G20.

Thanks, do you still prefer the G22 over the G20? Whichever I go with will not be a high volume shooter, or replace my 9mm Glocks. Just enough to verify function and POI.

[GardoneVT]

Aren't the terms "woods gun" and " handgun" mututally exclusive?

If I were sharing real estate with animals capable of serious harm, I'd be toting my trusty Benelli 12 gauge.

[JHC]

I'm having a ball with this topic also planning an Alaska trip this Summer to include some hiking and fishing. My perspective is one needs adequate penetration and shootability to face shoot a big bear or moose at close range. Personally I think the widespread advice for giant .454 Casull and UP handguns is pretty much nuts. Way too much recoil to make a 2nd or 3rd shot if you miss popping the brain pan on the first. I'm still not sure about the .44.

Today I got 3 hits on a 4x6 card at 7 yards in a little less than 3 seconds with a 4" model 629. Twice in a row. That's coming along ok from when I first started playing with this a few weeks ago.

Glock 10mms seem like the most capability with least serious power compromise.

[Nephrology]

Black bears are big old pansies, cats and dogs of the predatory variety can be handled with pretty much anything that would be useful in humans. so, unless you really just want a Glock 20 (perfectly legitimate thing to want) you probably don't need to sink money into a new pistol/support gear/caliber.

[GJM]

Thanks, do you still prefer the G22 over the G20? Whichever I go with will not be a high volume shooter, or replace my 9mm Glocks. Just enough to verify function and POI.

I find the G20 to be slightly big for continuous carry. Last summer I ran a G22 with a KKM barrel and DT hard cast. I (belatedly) discovered some feeding issues with the last few few cartridges in the magazine. If hard cast doesn't run, I am leaning towards the G29, as there is a better selection of penetrator type loads. Trying to verify the G29 is reliable with the penetrator loads.

Aren't the terms "woods gun" and " handgun" mututally exclusive?

If I were sharing real estate with animals capable of serious harm, I'd be toting my trusty Benelli 12 gauge.

Whenever I hear this sort of advice, and it is frequent, I wonder why choose between a handgun and long gun, when the obvious answer is to have both.

I'm having a ball with this topic also planning an Alaska trip this Summer to include some hiking and fishing. My perspective is one needs adequate penetration and shootability to face shoot a big bear or moose at close range. Personally I think the widespread advice for giant .454 Casull and UP handguns is pretty much nuts. Way too much recoil to make a 2nd or 3rd shot if you miss popping the brain pan on the first. I'm still not sure about the .44.

Today I got 3 hits on a 4x6 card at 7 yards in a little less than 3 seconds with a 4" model 629. Twice in a row. That's coming along ok from when I first started playing with this a few weeks ago.

Glock 10mms seem like the most capability with least serious power compromise.

Four inch Smith .44 has been the "school solution" for a long time. If I didn't shoot so much semi-auto, and frequently have a long gun with me, this would be my solution.